It's a road sign, I think, probably one of those things that cartoons depict that isn't really a thing any more.
― koogs, Thursday, 14 February 2019 01:09 (five years ago) link
Thanks Koogs! I'm really struggling with expressions that I just don't know at the moment, I had "In a pet" just now which I'd never heard of.
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Monday, 18 February 2019 20:41 (five years ago) link
Some others I couldn't make sense of:
Bitter about a man - ALECLower class fare - COMMONS (is fare 'S' for "standard" or something? But then I feel like the whole thing would need to clue "Commons")?Common cleric constantly in pain - REVEREND (I think constantly is 'ever', which leaves pain as... rend? I guess being rent would be painful? Also, why 'common'?Rock a shade of yellowish green - LIMESTONE (It's... a rock? And lime is green? I can't seem to make this one fit together.)
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Monday, 18 February 2019 20:47 (five years ago) link
The first one is ale (bitter) c. (about, as in circa)Third one is exactly as you say (to pain, to rend)Fourth: a shade of yellowish green = lime’s tone
― A funny tinge happened on the way to the forum (wins), Monday, 18 February 2019 21:00 (five years ago) link
I'm always amused by a good, off-color surface reading, and this one was excellent, if a bit convoluted.
Before taking off partner's clothes, firstly extinguish flash lamp (9)
― Dial Alexa, derelict! (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 21 February 2019 16:54 (five years ago) link
Lower class fare - COMMONS (is fare 'S' for "standard" or something? But then I feel like the whole thing would need to clue "Commons")?
iirc "commons" is an oldfashioned word for a meal served communally such as in a monastery refectory, university hall, etc, so it's a double definition - I think
no idea about yours yet, Dan, but I look forward to thinking it over
― a passing spacecadet, Thursday, 21 February 2019 19:19 (five years ago) link
Yeah, in researching it, commons (plural) can mean "the common people" i.e. lower class, and "food provided for meals in common for all members of a group." So it's a double def. Not a particularly satisfying one imo.
Here's another one I liked from the same puzzle as above. Dictator's pampering young swimmer (7)
― Dial Alexa, derelict! (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 21 February 2019 19:37 (five years ago) link
Creole tune originally played as synthesised music (7)
― paolo, Tuesday, 5 March 2019 14:17 (five years ago) link
got it!that's a nice cute one
― nxd, Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:20 (five years ago) link
lolz
Bones found here in your ass, remarkably (7)
― Neil S, Friday, 8 March 2019 13:01 (five years ago) link
finally got that Creole one!
― kinder, Friday, 8 March 2019 13:20 (five years ago) link
xp is that from a newspaper? either way i approve of this increased ass content.
― large bananas pregnant (ledge), Friday, 8 March 2019 13:49 (five years ago) link
Yeah today’s Graun
― Neil S, Friday, 8 March 2019 16:53 (five years ago) link
another Graun, from today's
Doubtful The Sting was Peter's kind of film (9, 7)
― Neil S, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 10:21 (five years ago) link
nice anag though the apostrophe s might make ximenes slightly shuffle in his grave.
― what if bod was one of us (ledge), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 10:32 (five years ago) link
still parse-able enough IMO
― Neil S, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 10:34 (five years ago) link
yeah it's fine. just not perfect :)
― what if bod was one of us (ledge), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 10:39 (five years ago) link
lord knows it's hard enough to write good clues without pedants like me sticking their oar in; i hereby rescind all previous remarks and will refrain from all future such.
― what if bod was one of us (ledge), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 10:46 (five years ago) link
i like it
lovely clue
― nxd, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 11:37 (five years ago) link
Recent clues I don't understand:
An opening celebration or its finale (DOOR)Cases prepared for Italian consumer groups (RAVIOLI) - I kiiiind of get this one but 'consumer groups' confuses meLeft in charge (OVER)Baked beans need this lid for protection (TOPI)Show symbol of authority, namely, before holding exercises (SCEPTRE)Screen for illness in advance? Imagine! (PRETEND) - this kinda makes sense but... 'screen for illness' doesn't clue tend???
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 14:08 (five years ago) link
celebration or = DO OR. could it be that obvious / clumsy?
― koogs, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 14:41 (five years ago) link
Some of these explanations may be missing something, I'm sure others will correct me if so:
1. celebration = do (party) + or but there seem to be two definition parts, "opening" and "finale"... hmm2. cryptic definition, ravioli is in a case, consumer groups = eaters of food3. double definition, left = over (left over?) and in charge of something is to be over it4. top = lid, other than that I got nothing5. a sceptre is a symbol of authority, PT = exercises? other than that I got nothing
― the word dog doesn't bark (anagram), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 14:45 (five years ago) link
'_or_ its finale' is descriptive of the word after celebration / 'do'
― nxd, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 14:53 (five years ago) link
ha i kinda guess thats what you guys said, it's quite hard with common words like 'or' to pick apart definitions
― nxd, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 14:56 (five years ago) link
SCEPTRE relies on you knowing that sc is a less common equivalent to viz (which I didn’t) A similar expression is scilicet (from earlier scire licet), abbreviated as sc., which is Latin for "it is permitted to know".So SC (namely) + ERE (before) holding PT (exercises, as in physical training)
― mumsnet blvd (wins), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 15:02 (five years ago) link
― mumsnet blvd (wins), Thursday, 18 April 2019 16:14 (five years ago) link
wtf!
― what if bod was one of us (ledge), Thursday, 18 April 2019 16:44 (five years ago) link
Thanks to everyone on the last batch! 'Sc' namely is hmm.
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Thursday, 25 April 2019 12:44 (five years ago) link
bit in the observer yesterday
https://www.theguardian.com/global/2019/may/12/anna-shechtman-the-new-queen-of-crosswords
american crosswords are strange things.
― koogs, Monday, 13 May 2019 14:41 (five years ago) link
I read that whole thing this morning really confused; assumed it was a cryptic setter
― kinder, Monday, 13 May 2019 14:46 (five years ago) link
the one i couldn't get from yesterday's observer:
Tests idiot about uniform (2-6) and i have the letters _S-_E_E_S
("as sevens" i thought. 'ass' around 'even'. but that leaves an unexplained 's' and also isn't a thing)
― koogs, Monday, 20 May 2019 10:48 (five years ago) link
AS Levels
― The Pingularity (ledge), Monday, 20 May 2019 10:49 (five years ago) link
though i would say that's 1-1-6
― The Pingularity (ledge), Monday, 20 May 2019 10:50 (five years ago) link
Idiot = AssUniform = level
AS Levels?
― help yourself to another slice of apple ... crumble (Willl), Monday, 20 May 2019 10:59 (five years ago) link
Beat me to it
thanks. i should've got that.
was also convinced about similies being an anagram of missle until the other letters got in the way.
― koogs, Monday, 20 May 2019 11:02 (five years ago) link
>american crosswords are strange things.
This article def made me realise that the weirdly arbitrary set of canonical UK-crossword acronyms are just, like, locked in annoyingly until someone consciously challenges them though - are there setters who just don't use the R.E./R.A. ones or the others that always have to be introduced to learner solvers with an apology?
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Thursday, 23 May 2019 15:07 (five years ago) link
H.E. (his excellency) for ambassador had me rmde when I learned about it not very many years ago.
― The Pingularity (ledge), Thursday, 23 May 2019 15:13 (five years ago) link
made you what, sorry
― daenerys baker (darraghmac), Thursday, 23 May 2019 15:30 (five years ago) link
smdh
― The Pingularity (ledge), Thursday, 23 May 2019 15:32 (five years ago) link
Never come across this clue type before:Cryptic crosswords for beginners: cycling clues
https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2019/may/27/cryptic-crosswords-for-beginners-cycling-clues
― The Pingularity (ledge), Monday, 27 May 2019 16:16 (five years ago) link
Me neither! But seems both fair and useful to me.
― anatol_merklich, Tuesday, 28 May 2019 19:22 (five years ago) link
loved this one in todays times
rogue cop wearing blue material flicks food (7)
― nxd, Friday, 31 May 2019 20:39 (five years ago) link
p good
― shhh / let peaceful like things (wins), Friday, 31 May 2019 20:41 (five years ago) link
Controversy at 30A: https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27852
― The Pingularity (ledge), Thursday, 20 June 2019 13:03 (four years ago) link
wow
some cute ones in the times quick cryptic on my week off i enjoyed...
Outfit for the tango follower? (7)Braved winds bravely, say (6)
― nxd, Monday, 24 June 2019 10:45 (four years ago) link
cuet, second one v sneaky considering the mechanism is pretty obvious.
Smash up Tracy Chapman's car, it's what you do first thing in the morning. (9)
― The Pingularity (ledge), Tuesday, 25 June 2019 09:19 (four years ago) link
ooh I got that one
― kinder, Tuesday, 25 June 2019 13:08 (four years ago) link
today's Graun
Monk controls a new church in Don's area (2, 6)
― Captain ACAB (Neil S), Wednesday, 26 June 2019 12:07 (four years ago) link
No way I could get that without letters. An unstraightforward synonym, an unconventional indicating word and a somewhat cryptic definition. Maybe they'd all jump out at you if you do these things more frequently than I do.
― The Pingularity (ledge), Friday, 28 June 2019 07:39 (four years ago) link